'Punky Brewster' Actress Shares Tribute to Ex Shifty Shellshock

Actress Soleil Moon Frye, best known as the titular child star of TV's Punky Brewster, has posted a touching tribute to late Crazy Town singer, Shifty Shellshock, who died last week at the age of 49. The pair reportedly dated for a year between 2021 and 2022.

Frye shared an Instagram post Sunday (June 30) after taking the time to mourn the musician's death. In it, she offered a carousel of photos taken in happier times, including some with family members.

The actress said of the musician, "My heart is whispering a million I love you’s for the way you loved my children and I so unconditionally. can still see your smiling sweet face in middle school when you kissed me in your tunnel of love and the way you swept me away again as we grew up to show me what that timeless kind of love feels like. No words could ever express the love we shared or how we are feeling right now. It is a language all its own."

Frye and Shifty had both grown up in Los Angeles, with the musician nearly two years her senior. Following her divorce from TV producer Jason Goldberg, she began dating the musician, but they split in 2022.

Continuing her thoughts on her ex-boyfriend, Frye added, "So for now I will use every bit of strength you showed me to hold on to those words you asked me in your beautiful morning gravilly voice on the beach while covering me with kisses. 'to the people we have lost we will see them again down the road, right?' I believe we will Seth… and when we do, the most charming bad ass tattooed angel in mismatched shoes, who taught me how to drink up life again will be standing there with the biggest smile. I will instantly see your moon on fire cheek welcoming your family, friends, fans and loved ones under loving double rainbow arches… I love you forever and always. Your Moonfire xx @therealcrazytown."

The Death of Shifty Shellshock

Crazy Town singer Shifty Shellshock (aka Seth Binzer) was confirmed, with the musician's death listed as June 24. He was 49.

The singer rose to fame in the early 2000s when Crazy Town released their smash hit "Butterfly" off their debut album The Gift of Game. The track hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and its success helped the nu-metal group earn their only platinum record.

Crazy Town's second album, 2002's Darkhorse failed to achieve any sort of similar success and the band split up the following year.

READ MORE: Crazy Town's Five Sickest Deep Cuts

Meanwhile, Binzer was contending with substance abuse and addiction, which had caused some issues for the group, such as getting booted off Ozzfest in 2000 after an arrest over a drunken antic. Such problems followed the group even up until recently. In April of 2023, (hed)p.E. removed Crazy Town from the Nu-Metal Madness 2 tour after Binzer engaged in a fistfight with his bandmate after missing a show.

"Because of what's going on with Seth and Crazy Town right now — Seth needs help. We can't just sit by while he's on the road, battling demons to the death. He needs to get off the road and deal with that shit. You've seen the video. If it was just a fistfight between band members, maybe I could be the first one to mediate that shit. But this is a lot deeper," (hed)p.e. said at the time.

Binzer had previously sought assistance in overcoming his addictions. He appeared on the first two seasons of the reality TV shows Celebrity Rehab and Sober House. Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler and late Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr were among the participants on the programs as well.

The musician's rep, Howie Hubberman, disclosed to Rolling Stone that the musician's cause of death was ruled as an accidental overdose.

In an Instagram post Binzer shared in late April, he stated that he was sober.

"I’m a lover than a fighter … but the one I need to love more Instead of fight with is myself .. mr shifty true Love # Sober alive and grateful," he wrote in the caption.